South Sudan activist urges East African Community to intervene amid Rwanda-DRC escalation

JUBA – A prominent South Sudan activist is appealing to the East African Community (EAC) to intervene on the escalating situation between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda after Kigali put its forces along its border with Congo ‘on alert’.

On Saturday, DR Congo expelled Rwandan ambassador Vincent Karenga, in retaliation for Kigali’s alleged support to a rebel group active in the east of the country, according to government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya.

Kigali responded in a statement Sunday by debunking the Congolese claim and instead accused Kinshasa of escalating tensions between the two countries.

In a statement, the Rwandan government said its forces along the border “remain on alert.”

“It is regrettable the government of the DRC continues to scapegoat Rwanda to cover up and distract from their own governance and security failures,” said the statement attributed to the Office of the Government Spokesperson.

Reacting to the development, activist Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of South Sudan-based Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), expressed concerns over the escalating tensions and called for intervention of East African Community to arrest the situation.

“The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) as a member of East African civil society network is taking this opportunity to urge the leaders of East African Community to urgently intervene in the Rwanda-DRC political frictions before it spirals to regionalization,” he said.

Yakani who is also a member of East African Civil Society Organizations’ Forum said the tensions between Congo and Rwanda will have direct impact on regional peace and stability if leaders do not take course to resolve it.

“The negative political developments between Rwanda and DRC have direct impact on regional peace, security and stability and the integration process which has already taken shape will be affected as a result of these tensions,” he said.

He further urged regional leaders to “adopt proper and functional strategy for promotion of peace, security and stability in the region” adding that regional bloc is “still in a progressive trend that requires effective and genuine strategy for peace and security.”